Chandigarh, January 22
The Inquiry Commission set up by the Haryana Government to look into the violence at Gurgaon involving the state police and workers of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters Limited (HMSL) is ready with its report.

The commission, headed by Justice G. C. Garg , it is learnt, will submit the report to the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, before the January 31 deadline.

The state government had transferred the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of Gurgaon in the aftermath of the violence erupting in the city on July 25, 2005.

The commission, instituted to probe the incident, had to arrive at its findings on the basis of testimony given to it by the government officials concerned and the management of HMSL. The workers, who were the aggrieved party in the case, kept away from the hearings held by the commission.

It is learnt that Justice Garg had held over 50 hearings in connection with the inquiry. The workers, by and large, remained absent from these sittings. The attitude of the workers did not change even after the commission started holding hearings at Haryana Bhavan in Delhi following demands raised by the workers.

The other demand of the workers was to change the terms of reference of the commission. While the commission was purported to have been set up to look into police atrocities, its terms of reference did not mention the police excesses. Rather, it described the workers as an “unruly mob”. Thus, the police had been given an escape route by the government while setting up the inquiry, alleged the HMSL Workers Union. The state government refused to entertain the union’s demand of changing the terms of reference.

The commission, set up on July 29, 2005, for a period of three months, was given extension to complete its work. Recently, its deadline was extended up to January 31.

The state government has already circulated letters among its Principal Secretaries to give their inputs for the Governor’s Address to be delivered on the first day of the Budget session of the Assembly to be held in the first week of March. The Garg report, along with a report on the action taken on the findings of the commission, is likely to be tabled during the Assembly session.

The Left parties, which are a key supporter of the Congress-led government at the Centre, will be carefully studying the findings of the commission. The CPM and the CPI had strongly protested against the brutal police action against the workers at Gurgaon.

Chandigarh, January 22
In a major setback to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today set aside its order vide which it had re-advertised the 400 posts of staff nurse after rejecting the list of candidates selected by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission in December, 2004.

While doing so, the Hooda government had taken the stand that the list had been finalised in violation of the model code of conduct for the general elections to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. Thereafter, showing unusual promptness, the government had also re-advertised the posts.

However, the decision had been challenged by many selected candidates, who had questioned the legality of the order.

Accepting the plea of the petitioners, the Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Mr Justice R.S. Madaan, while allowing the bunch of writs, also ordered the Haryana Government to appoint the candidates within two months on the same terms and conditions as mentioned in the advertisement of August 31, 2004.

Taking a negative view of the action of the government of going in for re-advertising the vacancies of 400 staff nurses, the Bench said it should have appointed those who were selected by the HSSC. The Bench also observed that there was no fault in the selection process except that the Model Code of Conduct had come into force. The Bench also observed that the government had not disputed the proposition of law and facts of the case and no question had been raised about the selection process, except that the code was in force.

Chandigarh, January 22
Over 100 educationists from all over the country and a few from abroad will deliberate for three days from tomorrow here on how quality education can be ensured for all.

They will be the guests of the Haryana Board of School Education and the Council of Boards of School Education in India(COBSE), which are jointly organising an international conference on "Quality Education for All : International Concerns" at Dr Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition in Sector 42D here.

According to the Haryana Financial Commissioner, Education, Mr R.S. Gujral, the chairmen of about 35 school education boards would be among those who would participate in the conference. Among the foreign delegates are Dr Lynda Yates of Latrobe University, Australia; Dr Young Hae Kang of the Korean Education Development Institute, Korea; Mr Ram Chander of the Fiji Ministry of Education; Mrs Sandhya Chakowa of Mauritius; Mr N. Madawanarachchie of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education; Prof R.H. Dave, former Director of the UNESCO Institute of Education, Hamburg, Germany; and Ms Julie Hos of the Australian Centre for Educational Research.

Prof D.V. Sharma, General Secretary of the COBSE, said the conference would take up seven sub-themes like trends in evaluation, issues in the curriculum and vocational education.

While the Haryana Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana, will inaugurate the conference, the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will preside over the valedictory session on January 25.

Fatehabad, January 22
The CPM today castigated the Central Government for spiraling prices of essential commodities and said it would launch a campaign against it throughout the country from February 1.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Inderjit Singh, state secretary of the CPM said that due to the wrong policies of the government, prices of food commodities had rose by 30 per cent much to the detriment of common man.

The CPM leader said that the Central Government as well as the state governments had no control over the inflation.

He said that the CPM had decided to launch a countrywide campaign against the failure of the government from February 1. During this campaign corner meetings would be held at village level and dharnas and demonstrations would be organised at tehsil and district levels.

The party would raise issues like strengthening of the public distribution system (PDS), implementation of the employment guarantee scheme in all districts, cutting prices of petrol and diesel, bringing an Act for the safeguard of farm labourers and those working in the unorganised sector and speedy enactment of the women reservation Bill.

During its demonstrations in the state, the party would also raise issues like power scarcity, checking the sales of spurious seeds and pesticides and implementation of labour laws.

Mr Inderjit Singh said that law and order situation in Haryana had deteriorated during the past two years, incidents of murders and rioting were on the rise and the government had been paying little attention to education and unemployment.

The CPM leader also addressed a meeting of the district committee of the party.

Mr Krishan Swaroop, a member of the Zila Parishad, Mr Harpal Singh, a former party MLA, Mr Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria, Mr Chhatarpal Singh and Mr Joginder Singh were present on this occasion.

Sirsa, January 22
Taking cognizance of an LPG consumer's complaint, the Sirsa Deputy Commissioner, Mr V. Umashankar, has maintained that it was not mandatory for a consumer to buy gas stove or tube from the LPG agency. He, however, advised the consumers to buy only ISI-marked LPG stoves and tubes.

He said this at a meeting organised to redress public grievances here today. Mr Yogesh Chander of Kalanwali had lodged a specific complaint in this regard. The Deputy Commissioner appealed to the people to approach him or the Superintendent of Police if any case of black-marketing of LPG cylinders came to their notice.

Mr Umashankar directed the district officials concerned to get the pension disbursed only at public places in the villages. "The sarpanches should ensure that pension amount is distributed among the villagers at some public place," he asserted.

Hearing a complaint regarding the ration disbursement, the Deputy Commissioner ordered that the ration depot holders should inform the Tehsildar and Naib-Tehsildar about ration disbursement. He said the ration should be disbursed under supervision of the patwari and revenue official concerned.

In response to another complaint, Mr Umashankar asked the District Town Planner (DTP) to ensure prompt issuance of no-objection certificates required for sale-purchase of property like house or plot.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the authorities concerned to allot land for the construction of a veterinary hospital at Rania. He also asked the electricity officials to provide power connection for the Veterinary Hospital at Dhotar village.

Zila Parsihad member Ramesh Bhadu had demanded that clean drinking water be supplied to Neemla, Berwal and Dhaulpalia villages. On this, Mr Umashankar directed the officials of the Public Health Department to ensure the chlorination of water supplied to these villages.

Karnal, January 22
Various unions of the state power sector are up in arms against a decision to shift the 66-KV substations from the HVPN to power distribution companies. Demanding immediate repeal of the system, they said it would go against the state interest as public funds would be invested more for it for no judicious reasons.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Mr S.K. Garg, general secretary of the Haryana Power Engineers Association (HPEA), termed the decision as arbitrary. He said the decision taken by the board of directors of the HVPN to hand over the 66-KV substations to the DHBVN and the UHBVN was against the rules.

He said the since the Reorganisation Act under which the erstwhile HSEB was divided in four separate power entities was clear on the functioning of the each wing.

Demanding to retain the status prior to 2006, the HPEA said the decision taken on January 19 was against the rules as the distribution was made by the Legislative Assembly.

At present, the transmission companies are handling the substations of the capacity of 222-KV, 132-KV, 66-KV and 33-KV, whereas the distribution companies are responsible for the 11-KV capacity substations.

Under the new undertaking, he said more than 100 substations with the capacity of 66-KV would be handed over to the distribution companies who are inexperienced in handling the job.

The HPEA leaders said that the new system would create an imbalance and overburden the distribution companies.

Fatehabad, January 22
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has decided to supply power on urban mode to the villages, which have 33 KV substations within their boundary, and to the villages, which are located at a distance of less than 2 km from a substation of 33 KV and above.

A nigam spokesman said here today that the DHBVN had decided to supply power on urban mode to all villages or towns within and outside municipal limits.

However, the bill recovery rate of such villages should be at least equal to that of the city adjoining that village where the conversion from rural to urban mode is sought, he added.

Power supply from these feeders shall not be given for tube-well connections meant for irrigation purposes. Electronic ones will replace all domestic and non-domestic electro-mechanical meters, the spokesman added.

The cost of the line to be erected for the conversion of supply from the rural to urban mode will be borne by the consumers or the panchayats. The entire cost of the line would normally be recovered before starting the work but if consumers or panchayats happens to be financially weak, they will be allowed to pay in six equal installments spread over six months, the DHBVN spokesman added.